Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin was among the prominent figures on hand in Bhutan for the unveiling of the country’s new National Digital Identity (NDI) system — now anchored on the Ethereum blockchain.
What’s the Big Change
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Bhutan has shifted its digital identity system from earlier platforms (Hyperledger Indy, then Polygon) to Ethereum, making it the first nation to run its full citizen identity infrastructure on a public blockchain.
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The NDI will eventually serve around 770,000–800,000 Bhutanese citizens, with migration of all authentication credentials expected by early 2026.
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The system is designed around self-sovereign identity principles. It allows people to prove certain facts about themselves (like age or residence) without revealing more personal data than necessary, thanks to technologies like zero-knowledge proofs.
Who Was There & Reactions
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Alongside Buterin, the event was attended by Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, and Aya Miyaguchi, head of the Ethereum Foundation.
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Leaders have described the move as a milestone in digital governance: offering greater transparency, enhancing citizens’ control over their data, and improving both privacy and security of identity verification.